admin 
Islamabad (Manend News) Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has called on the international community to urge Afghanistan to fulfil its international “obligations” and rein in terrorist outfits operating from its territory.
He made the remarks while addressing an international forum hosted in Ashgabat to mark the 30th anniversary of Turkmenistan’s permanent neutrality, which global leaders, including heads of state from Russia, Turkiye, attended.
Talking about the “scourge” of terrorism, the premier called on the international community and said, “We need the international community to urge the Afghan Taliban regime to fulfil its international obligations and commitments and rein in terrorists operating from its territory.”
PM Shehbaz also expressed gratitude to Qatar, Turkiye, Saudi Arabia, Iran and the United Arab Emirates for their efforts in brokering a ceasefire between Islamabad and Kabul.
The premier noted that while the ceasefire still stood, it remained “fragile”.
He also underscored Pakistan’s commitment to “peaceful dispute resolution”.
“The UN Security Council’s (UNSC) adoption of resolution 2788 earlier this year was a strong endorsement of Pakistan’s vision for the peaceful settlement of disputes,” he said.
In July, the UNSC had unanimously adopted a resolution sponsored by Pakistan, calling for the strengthening of international mechanisms to settle disputes through peaceful means.
In his remarks, PM Shehbaz also talked about Gaza and expressed the hoped that ongoing peace efforts would “ultimately protect and save the lives of innocent Palestinians, ensuring a lasting and permanent ceasefire, [and] allow the flow of critical humanitarian aid”.
“Pakistan has been and shall continue to support all efforts aimed at upholding the inalienable right to self-defence for the Palestinian people as well as the brave and resilient Kashmiri people,” he went on to say.
The premier noted that “the pursuit of lasting peace is intrinsically linked to the path of sustainable development”.
“In this regard, the 2030 agenda for sustainable development presents a universal blueprint for a better and peaceful world.
“Socio-economic development and the welfare of our people are my government’s foremost priority,” he said.
PM Shehbaz told the conference that Pakistan was making “significant strides in several key areas, including advancing financial inclusion, bringing women and marginalised into the economic mainstream”.
Shifting his attention to climate, the premier said that Pakistan had demonstrated its commitment to undertaking cleaner and greener solutions, “transforming our landscape and setting a global example in ecosystem restoration”.
The premier, however, pointed out that similar to many developing nations, Pakistan’s “quest” for sustainable development was “facing the headwinds of climate-induced disasters and inequities in international economic relations”.
He also highlighted the “catastrophic impact” of floods in recent years. The prime minister told the gathering that “climate change, poverty, and inequality are not isolated challenges”.
“These are transnational threats,” he said, adding that resolving them required “solutions built on a foundation of shared responsibility and unity of purpose, and access to advanced technology, especially digital technology”.
He insisted that “it must also be equitable and without any kind of discrimination”.
In his concluding remarks, PM Shehbaz thanked the Turkmenistan leadership for hosting the forum.
“I appeal to all of you ladies and gentlemen to let this forum serve as a genuine call to action and urgent action for a new paradigm of international relations where we move from zero-sum mindsets to purposeful cooperation,” the premier said.
“Let us invest in connectivity, not just as conduits for transportation of goods but as bridges for people, ideas and prosperity. Let us commit to [resolving] disputes peacefully through dialogue and diplomacy and reaffirm our earnest commitment to the principles of the UN Charter, and let us together chart a common course towards a future defined by peace, mutual trust and shared prosperity.
“For far too long, the seeds of hatred and conflict have overshadowed our world,” PM Shehbaz noted, calling on the world to “let the dove of peace take flight once more”.
PM Shehbaz meets Putin, Erdogan
PM Shehbaz also held informal meetings on the sidelines of the forum with several world leaders, including the Russian President Vladimir Putin, Turkiye President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, and others, State broadcaster PTV reported.
He also met the President of Tajikistan, Emomali Rahmon, and the Kyrgyz President, Sadyr Japarov, the report said.
It added that the prime minister “remained the centre of attention of world leaders.”
Dar meets Iranian, Kyrgyz foreign ministers
Separately, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, who is accompanying the premier to Turkmenistan, held a meeting with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi.
In a post on X, Dar said that the pair discussed “bilateral cooperation and exchanged views on regional developments”.
“We agreed to further deepen collaboration in trade, connectivity and people-to-people ties, and reaffirmed our commitment to working together for peace, stability, and prosperity in the region,” he added.
In a separate post, Dar said that he also met with Kyrgyzstan Foreign Minister Zheenbek Kulubeav, and the pair “reviewed progress” on Pakistan and Kyrgyzstan’s bilateral relations.
“Following the recent visit of the president of Kyrgyzstan to Pakistan, we reviewed the progress of our bilateral relations, discussed regional developments, and agreed to work together to further enhance cooperation for the mutual benefit of our peoples,” Dar added.
Dar also met the foreign ministers of Turkiye and Oman, and the three exchanged views on “regional and international developments.”
“Good to catch up with my brothers, FM Sayyid Badr bin Hamad Al Busaidi @badralbusaidi of Oman and FM Hakan Fidan @HakanFidan of Türkiye, today in Ashgabat on the sidelines of the Peace & Trust Conference,” he said in another post on X.
“We exchanged views on regional & international developments, and reaffirmed our commitment to further strengthen our fraternal ties,” he said.
During the Turkmenistan visit, PM Shehbaz will also hold meetings with global leaders on the sidelines of an international conference being hosted in Ashgabat, Radio Pakistan reported earlier today.
The report said that the premier will attend the forum marking the International Year of Peace and Trust 2025, the International Day of Neutrality, and the 30th anniversary of Turkmenistan’s permanent neutrality.
The report did not mention which leaders PM Shehbaz would be meeting. However, Russian president Putin and Turkish president Erdogan are among those attending the gathering.
The report also added that PM Shehbaz, and other leaders attending the international forum, also visited the Monument of Neutrality in Ashgabat earlier in the day, where a floral wreath laying ceremony was held.
A day earlier, PM Shehbaz had met Turkmenistan President Serdar Berdimuhamedov and congratulated him on the 30th anniversary of Permanent Neutrality of Turkmenistan and on the UN designation of 2025 as the International Year of Peace and Trust.
While underscoring the importance of the historic and fraternal relations between Pakistan and Turkmenistan, the PM expressed his resolve to further strengthen ties between the two countries, particularly through enhanced trade and economic engagement.
He reaffirmed Pakistan’s desire to enhance connectivity with Turkmenistan through land and sea routes.
In a subsequent post on X, the premier said he looked forward to welcoming President Berdimuhamedov and politician Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov to Pakistan next year.
United Nations had granted Turkmenistan the status of a neutral country in 1995. UN defines neutrality as “the legal status arising from the abstention of a state from all participation in a war between other states, the maintenance of an attitude of impartiality toward the belligerents, and the recognition by the belligerents of this abstention and impartiality”.
The premier had arrived in Turkmenistan on Thursday. The Foreign Office said PM Shehbaz was undertaking the visit at the invitation of the Turkmenistan president
Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, Power Minister Sardar Awais Ahmed Khan Leghari, Information Minister Attaullah Tarar, Tariq Fatemi, a key aide to the PM, and Special Assistant to the PM Talha Burki are part of the delegation accompanying the premier.